Emergency Ultrasound of the Abdominal Aorta
Geoffrey E. Hayden, MD
Director of Emergency Ultrasonography
Vanderbilt Emergency Medicine
Background and Anatomy:
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The diameter of the aorta is approximately 2 cm in the abdomen and tapers distally
The upper limits of normal for aorta diameter are 2.5 cm at the diaphragm and 1.8 cm at the
bifurcation
Aortic branches:
Celiac trunk: anterior wall approximately 1-2 cm below the level of the diaphragm; it gives off the
splenic artery, the common hepatic artery, and the left gastric artery
The splenic artery passes to the left along the superior border of the pancreas
Superior mesenteric artery (SMA): anterior wall of the aorta approximately 2cm from the celiac
trunk
Renal arteries: off the lateral wall of the aorta just distal to the SMA
Inferior mesenteric artery (IMA): anterior wall just proximal to the bifurcation
Common iliac arteries arise at the bifurcation approx. at the level of the umbilicus or the level of
the fourth lumbar vertebra
Pathology:
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There are progressive changes in the aorta’s intimal and medial layer resulting in a gradual
dilatation of the external diameter of the abdominal aorta
This dilatation is considered aneurysmal when the external diameter becomes 1.5 times that of
normal
An aneurysm is defined as an abnormal focal dilatation of the vessel wall that measures greater
than 3 cm
Overwhelming majority of ruptures occur when an aneurysm is greater than 5 cm
The natural history of an aneurysm is to expand at an average rate of 0.4 cm per year
Aneurysms enlarge at an average rate of 0.4 cm per year, with a high individual variability
Threshold for rupture tends to occur at greater than 5.0 cm in size (22% risk of rupture within 2
years)
Risk of rupture is estimated at 1-3% per year for aneurysms 4-5 cm; 6-11% per year for aneurysms
5-7 cm; 20% per year for aneurysms greater than 7 cm
The left retroperitoneum is most common site for rupture; with this rupture, there may be normal
hemodynamics initially without significant blood loss
Demographics and risk factors:
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Multiple factors, including HTN, smoking, age, atherosclerotic vascular disease, and genetics play
a role; strangely, diabetes actually decreases the risk
Adult males over 55 years of age are considered to have aneurysms when the aortic diameter
reaches 3.0 cm or greater
The incidence of AAA is 11% in men over 65 years of age, and the average age at presentation is
75 years
M>F at 7:1 ratio
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Over the past 3 decades, there has been a 300% increase in overall prevalence of AAA
Presentation:
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Symptoms and signs of AAA are nonspecific
It does not reveal itself with sufficient predictive value by historical features or PE
Symptoms range from vague abdominal and back discomfort to severe, deep back pain or
abdominal pain; may also see a femoral neuropathy (causing hip and thigh pain, quadriceps
muscle weakness, and positive psoas sign)
May also produce intramural clot which can embolize to the LE, with consequent pain and
vascular changes
Clinical shock is present between 35-70% of patients but tachycardia is present in only 50%
Triad of abd pain, pulsatile abd mass, and hypotension only present in 1/3 of patients
In ruptured AAA, most still have normal femoral pulses
Asymmetry or absence of femoral pulses is more commonly associated with aortic dissection
Most common errors include diagnosing the patient with nephrolithiasis, diverticulitis, intestinal
ischemia, pancreatitis, appendicitis, perforated viscus, bowel obstruction, musculoskeletal back
pain, GI bleed, or AMI
Ultrasound and AAA:
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Bedside ultrasound has been reported to be 100% sensitive for the presence of an AAA
Sensitivity for detecting extraluminal blood is around 4%
Aneurysmal dilatation is most often confined to the infrarenal aorta and usually terminates
proximal to the bifurcation
The iliac arteries are involved in 40% of patients with AAA (iliac artery aneurysm >1.5 cm)
Sono Technique:
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Typically use a 2.5-5MHz curved array probe
Views from the subxiphoid area to the umbilicus in the patient’s midline
Probe pointer at 9 o’clock, firm pressure to abdomen
Step 1 is to identify the anterior vertebral body; densely hyperechoic, concave down, with
posterior acoustic shadowing
Two vascular, anechoic structures are present immediately anterior to the vertebral body; with the
probe indicator pointing to the patient’s right side, the aorta is on the right side of the U/S screen
(patient’s left) and the IVC is on the left side of the screen
The aorta tends to have thicker, more echogenic walls; it also tends to be more pulsatile (not a
perfectly consistent feature), and it tends not to be compressible; the IVC does not have branches
as does the aorta (celiac, SMA, etc.)
Measurements are made from outer wall to outer wall
The ultrasound exam should involve visualization of the entire length of the abdominal aorta
Probe must be perpendicular to the aorta, in order to maximize the angle of insonation
Move down the abdomen in 0.5-1 cm increments in the transverse plane
Turn the probe clock-wise to 12 o’clock to obtain a longitudinal view of the aorta
Follow from the mid-epigastrium to the bifurcation
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May see lateral cystic shadowing (edge artifact) and shadowing from calcified plaques within the
lumen of the aorta
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If there are technical limitations that restrict your exam, consider the coronal view as an alternative
Using the liver as an acoustic window, place the probe in the mid-axillary line at 12 o’clock
Image through the ribs, preferably below the costal margin
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“Take a deep breath and HOLD”
Look for:
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Real-time views of the entire length of the aorta both in transverse and in
longitudinal
Identify the abdominal vascular anatomy: celiac trunk, splenic vein, SMA, and
IVC
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Save images as follows:
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Aorta transverse HI
Aorta transverse MID
Aorta transverse LO
Aorta LONG
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Also save video clips of the entire length of the aorta both in transverse
and in longitudinal
Pitfalls:
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Obesity, bowel gas, abdominal tenderness, positioning, wounds, etc. may all limit the aorta exam
Longitudinal views of the aorta may be influenced by a “cylinder tangent effect” (off center slice
will show a reduced diameter)
Confusing the IVC for the aorta
Failure to consider the diagnosis
A small aneurysm does not preclude rupture
If AAA is identified, it may not be the cause of the patient’s symptoms
Saccular aneurysms are easily overlooked
Inappropriate caliper placements (outer wall to outer wall!) may underestimate lumen diameter
and under-call AAA
Pearls:
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If you identify a good sono window with great aorta visualization, fan your transducer up and
down to maximize your imaging area before physically moving down the abdomen
The elderly may have tortuous aortas that become quite eccentric….don’t rely on the midline
Bowel gas can be displaced to the right and left with gentle pressure applied through the
transducer in an anterior to posterior direction
If bowel gas obstructs your view, the transducer can be placed in the right axillary line; this uses
the liver as an acoustic window; the patient must be rolled into a left lateral decubitus position